Testimonials

What they say about television …

Influential personalities in the world of politics, social advocacy, sports, culture, entertainment and media share their experiences on how television has contributed to their career or to the promotion of their cause.

“Television has entertained and educated the public for generations. It has also served as a vital platform for the United Nations to inform citizens on issues of global reach. In an era in which fake news and hate speech are all too widespread, the need for trustworthy television is more important than ever. The United Nations is counting on broadcasters worldwide to invest in serious, quality content for viewers, to promote understanding and tolerance to help us build a better world for tomorrow.”

— Alison Smale is responsible for global communications at United Nations (Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2017 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Ban Ki-moon, former Secretary-General of the United Nations

“Television helps bring the world to people’s lives and living rooms. Through quality programming, television sheds light on global issues and opens windows of understanding on the struggles and hopes of communities and families everywhere. The United Nations looks forward to continuing our work with broadcasters to help inform, educate and build a better world.”

— Ban Ki-moon was the Secretary-General of the United Nations from 2007 to 2016(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT /EBU)

José Manuel Barroso, former President of the European Commission

“Television has a remarkable ability to keep pace with the change that we see around us on a daily basis. As people crave information, entertainment and education so television allows them to learn, to question and to form their own opinion. Politics, whether at a European or a national level, exists for the people. A robust and independent media raises awareness and reports about the successes and challenges facing Europeans today. The emotional power of television enables viewers to explore, to empathise, to engage and to sustain democracies.”

— José Manuel Barroso was President of the European Commission from 2004 to 2014, and was Portuguese prime minister from 2002 to 2004(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Jean Paul Gaultier, French stylist and designer

“Television has always been very important in my life. As a child I watched TV with my grandmother, and it’s a habit that has never left me. Just as what I see on the street inspires me, so does television. When I work on my collections, I try to reflect what I see and perceive around me. Fashion should match people’s evolving desires as well as reflect the society they live in; this is where television comes in, among other sources of inspiration.”
[“La télévision a toujours été très importante dans ma vie. Déjà jeune je regardais très souvent la télé chez ma grand-mère, et c’est une habitude qui ne m’a pas quitté depuis. Comme la rue, la télévision m’inspire. Quand je travaille sur mes collections, j’essaye de refléter ce que je vois et perçois autour de moi. La mode doit correspondre aux désirs du moment et refléter l’actualité, et cela passe entre autre par la télévision. »]

— Jean Paul Gaultier is a French haute couture and Pret-a-Porter fashion designer and stylist and was the creative director of Hermès from 2003 to 2010.(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU; Photo credit: R. TORRADO)

Robert Madelin, former Director General, European Commission, Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology

“The audiovisual sector has always been in constant change. Recently we are going through an even more exciting revolution. TV sets with added Internet connectivity, tablets and smartphones are now part of our “TV lives”. TV is no longer about sending information in one direction. The Internet links the audience and the content providers. This development opens the door to new converged modes of cultural expression, new services, new players and new audiences. The European Commission wants to make sure that the technological potential becomes a reality for the benefit of audiences and creators. Many of us have witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall through the eyes of cameramen. This was 25 years ago. We want to see remaining borders falling, also in the audiovisual world.”

— Robert Madelin was the Director General of the DG for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (known as DG connect) from 2010-2015 (Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2014 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Conchita Wurst, Austrian singer

“The power of television is like every power: It has its good and its bad sides. It can help spreading a wonderful message, an idea, art, news, sports, movies and entertainment. Television is also used for propaganda against ideas, against artists, against minorities. The responsibility of those, who make television, is a huge one. I was a lucky person. I had the opportunity to sing in front of 190 million people and spread a message of love, respect and tolerance. A message that couldn’t have reached so many people without the simple existence of television.”

— Conchita Wurst, is an Austrian Singer and the Winner of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2014(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2014 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardennes, Belgian filmmakers and directors

“It is always a great opportunity to be able to continue the dialogue with the viewer on television that began many months or years ago at the cinema. TV extends the life of our works. To us, the most important strength of television is the common experience – accessible to everyone simultaneously – created when one of our movies is aired. Moreover, it is also a way to guarantee a long future for the French-speaking cinema and to reinforce a social cohesion around shared cultural references.”
[“C’est une réelle chance de pouvoir continuer à la télévision le dialogue qu’on a commencé avec le spectateur au cinéma quelques mois ou années auparavant. La télé prolonge la vie de nos œuvres. Pour nous, la force majeure de la télévision c’est l’expérience commune, accessible à tous et en simultanée qui se créée lorsque l’un de nos films est diffusé. C’est d’ailleurs aussi une façon de garantir une longue vie au cinéma francophone et de renforcer une cohésion sociétale autour de références culturelles communes.”]

— Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne are a Belgian filmmaking duo. They write, produce and direct their films together. Their films won prices at the Cannes Film Festival in 1999, 2005, 2008 and 2011(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2014 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Franz Beckenbauer, Football legend: German football coach, manager and former player.

“The development that has happened on television recently is amazing! Football and Formula 1 in particular have benefitted from this. Television has actually brought football to where it is today, and that is huge!”
[„Die Entwicklung ist sagenhaft, was sich da im Fernsehen getan hat. Davon haben vor allem der Fußball und die Formel 1 profitiert. Das Fernsehen hat den Fußball dahin gebracht, wo er heute ist – das ist gigantisch!”]

— Franz Beckenbauer was a German football coach, manager and former player. Currently he is a pudit to Sky Germany(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Hans Vestberg, former Chief Executive Officer, Ericsson

“Television is an endlessly fascinating medium because it’s changing all the time. It’s incredible when you think about it – the advances in the technology we’ve seen and the huge explosion in the amount of content we can access as a TV viewer. In the emerging Networked Society, we at Ericsson envision that everything that benefits from a connection will have one – and we anticipate that by 2020 there will be at least 50 billion connected devices, 15 billion of which will offer video to users. And that’s what TV is about in today’s world – making the world a smaller place by making communication across the globe easier. People love to watch great TV, it really is that simple, and our job is to continue to make it better and better. Television is undergoing a huge transformation behind the scenes and I am so excited about continuing to be part of the changing face of the media industry as we bring connectivity and great content to the masses.”

— Hans Vestberg was Chief Executive Officer at Ericsson until July 2016(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT /EBU)

Marc Wilmots, Coach of the Belgian Football team and football commentator

— Marc Wilmots, is a former Belgian footballer and was the coach of the Belgian Football team (Les Diables rouges – The Red Devils) until 2016, as well as a football commentator.(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Lech Wałęsa, President of Poland (1990 – 1995)

“One of the cornerstones of democracy is unrestricted access to information. The pluralism of TV channels is one of its indispensible and essential elements.”
[„Jednym z najważniejszych elementów demokracji jest swobodny dostęp do informacji. Pluralizm kanałów telewizyjnych jest jego niezbędnym i podstawowym elementem.”]
“It all came from there,” Lech Wałęsa, said, pointing to a TV when a reporter asked him why communism fell.

— Lech Wałęsa was President of Poland between 1990 and 1995, a Noble Peace Prize winner and co-founder of Solidarity, the Soviet bloc’s first independent trade union
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Usain Bolt, Olympic champion

“When I was younger I spent a lot of time playing sport and trying to copy the skills I saw famous sportsmen do on TV. In 2008 my performances in the Olympic Games in Beijing were broadcast to millions of people all over the world. I won three gold medals and broke three world records. At the 2012 Olympics I defended my titles and set another world record. Nowadays no matter where I go in the world people know me from watching me run on TV. I hope that my hard work and determination will inspire and mobilise young audiences worldwide to follow their dreams or to simply always aim higher to achieve their goals.”

— Corneille is a Rwandese and Canadian singer. He was awarded by the NRJ music awards and EBBA in 2005, and SOBA in 2008
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2014 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Martin Schulz, German MEP, former President of the European Parliament

“Freedom of expression and information is one of the most basic rights of the EU, as enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights. It is a prerequisite to preserving our political liberties. That is why media freedom is taken consistently on board in our bilateral relations and agreements, particularly with developing countries. As it happens, the EU is paying close attention to the consolidation of media freedom in the post-Arab Spring countries, where we are intransigent in upholding and advocating the highest standards of television service. Evidently, if we have managed to safeguard this freedom, it is because journalists have risked their lives in providing us with uncensored facts and images. For the sake of European integration, we must embrace television, and other forms of media, in order to build our shared future where press freedom can continue to flourish.”

— Martin Schulz was President of the European Parliament from 2012 until 2017(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT – Photo: Credit European Parliament)

Neelie Kroes, former Vice-President of the European Commission

“We now live in an amazing digital world, and television is firmly part of that brave new world. Television is still the way to reach the most citizens and talk to them – and with them – about how the EU affects their lives. It’s still the way to bring people together – to laugh, to debate, to learn. In a world that takes a faster and faster pace, it is nice to know you can slow down once in a while with a good TV programme.”

— Neelie Kroes was the Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda for Europe from 2010 until 2014
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Viviane Reding, Luxembourg MEP

“At the end of the day, all politics, whether at EU or national level, exist for the people: for our 500 million citizens living in the European Union. We need strong and independent media to raise awareness and report about successes and challenges facing the European Union. Television in particular, with its emotional power that allows viewers to explore, to empathise, to engage, is one of the cornerstones that make our democracies work. Images speak louder than words. I will continue counting on television to inform our citizens and unite them across borders. This is what Europe is about.”

— Viviane Reding has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2014. She was the Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship from 2010 to 2014(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Androulla Vassiliou, former Member of the European Commission

“While the digital revolution has empowered individuals with an unprecedented diversity of communication tools, television remains the most powerful medium of all. It allows people – of all ages and backgrounds – to easily share information, views and emotions. Television has a key role to play in education, and it enables viewers to enjoy the richness of our cultural diversity, contributing to a more creative Europe.”

— Androulla Vassiliou was the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth from 2010 to 2014(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer at Netflix

“People love compelling television content. At Netflix, we do too. In view of viewers’ desire to further engage with their favourite shows any time anywhere, it is our conviction that linear TV viewing is bound to further naturally evolve towards new screens. Netflix should not be seen as a competitor to television. We do ultimately compete for viewers’ attention, but it is our aim to keep the Netflix service so well priced that no one has to cancel any of their television offering to afford it. We are an exclusively on-demand platform, and the majority of our investments are made in season-after-broadcast content that has already been broadcast on linear TV, where the viewer’s passion for stories is triggered. We believe that viewing on Netflix is incremental to television and that we have the opportunity to engage viewers on a deeper level while creating high loyalty for shows. Broadcasters should more than ever invest in the qualities of linear TV such as event driven programmes, live shows, sports and news.
This is ground where we will be less likely to compete and that viewers will always crave for.”

— Ted Sarandos is the Chief Content Officer at Netflix since 2000.(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Niki Lauda, former Austrian Formula One racing driver, three time World Champion

“The fact that I report as an expert for RTL live from the race course already shows that I attach great importance to the medium of television. Few people have had the opportunity to even sit once in a Formula 1 car as I have. Thanks to television, millions of people have the chance to be part of the action and to celebrate victories with us.”
[“Dass ich als Experte für RTL live von der Rennstrecke berichte, zeigt schon, dass ich dem Medium Fernsehen eine große Bedeutung beimesse. Nur wenige Menschen haben wie ich die Gelegenheit, einmal in ihrem Leben in einem Formel 1-Auto zu sitzen. Dank des Fernsehens bekommen Millionen Menschen die Chance, mitten im Geschehen zu sein und gemeinsam mit uns Erfolge zu feiern.”]

— Niki Lauda was an Austrian Formula One racing driver and three time World Champion in 1975, 1977 and 1984(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

— Petra Kammerevert, German MEP for S&D, member of the Committee on Culture and Education since 2009(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Ernő Rubik, Inventor of the Rubik’s Cube

“Television has remained the most powerful platform to reach large groups of people. That power must be matched by the responsibility to strike the right balance among entertainment, news, or education. The vast technological innovations taking us to the digital world should similarly be accompanied by innovative content-creation fostering curiosity, emotional engagement and socially involved citizens.”

— Ernő Rubik is the inventor of the Rubik’s Cube, he is also a Hungarian architect and professor of architecture(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2014 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Eva Paunova, Bulgarian MEP

“European integration removes barriers between countries, societies and individuals – barriers that are physical, as well as virtual. Technological development in the field of television and radio plays a major role in maintaining the pursuit of freedom and justice and fosters the formation of a strong civil society. Television retains its prominent role in an increasingly digitised world.”

— Eva Paunova is a Bulgarian Member of the European Parliament since 2014 and is active on the Digital Agenda(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2014 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Lars Adaktusson, Swedish MEP

“Television provides us with indispensable news and information – in real time. Furthermore TV is the medium that opens up the world, conveys presence and makes us contestants in events that later end up in history books. Television carries knowledge, feelings and awareness which ultimately stimulates diversity and strengthens fundamental democratic values.”

— Lars Adaktusson is a Swedish Member of the European Parliament and used to be a highly regarded journalist and a television news anchor(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2014 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Erika Miklósa, Opera singer

“I am overjoyed to see concert halls and opera houses around the world filled up with people for my concerts. But at the same time I am aware that for many people the only opportunity to relax is in front of the television. That is why televised media is able to have such a great impact on them, and that is why its main goal should be to transmit relevant values. As an opera singer and as an active sportswoman, I think that there is a great need for high quality cultural and sports programmes on television apart from the “usual” TV content. That is why I am very happy to be a part of the unique classical music talent show “Virtuózok” on the Hungarian public service television. Its success proves that viewers are hungry for television programmes of such high standards that have substantial content.”

— Erika Miklósa is a Hungarian multi-award winning opera singer, jury member of “Virtuózok”(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2014 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Sandis Ozoliņš, former Latvian ice-hockey player

“Television has enormous power, because it allows people to follow all major sports events by watching their TV, and it does not matter if it is a 9 seconds long 100 meters final sprint race at the Olympics, an hour long exciting ice-hockey game or a competition in any other sports discipline. That is why millions of fans forget the world around them while enjoying sports competitions at home. I know that people are happy for the opportunity to watch the games at home and have a good time, and that gives me great satisfaction and understanding that television can bring my represented sport – ice-hockey – into every home by letting an unlimited number of people to enjoy the game, while Arena Riga can host only 10,000 sports fans.”

— Sandis Ozoliņš is a former Latvian ice hockey player for Dinamo Riga of the Kontinental Hockey League and currently their head coach. A seven-time NHL All-Star, Stanley Cup champion, and Norris Trophy finalist, he also holds several records.(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Laurine Garaude, Director of the TV Division, Reed MIDEM

“Television is the most powerful medium reaching millions of people around the world on a multitude of different screens. It is a wonderful educational tool, a source of information, inspiration and communication between cultures. Because of its growing international scope it is increasingly giving voice to creative talent from around the world which is bringing it to new heights.”

— Laurine Garaude is the Director of the TV Division at Reed MIDEM (MIPTV, MIPCOM and MIPDoc, MIPFormats, MIPCube, MIPJunior)(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Dr. Marc Jan Eumann, German State Secretary for Federal Affairs

“Television is a valuable asset in a democratic society, and much more than only for entertainment purposes. Thanks to its variety it ensures that people of every age, from all backgrounds and levels of education are informed about developments happening in their country and in the rest of the world. They can form their own opinion thanks to it, because even complicated concepts are easier to understand with moving images. Without television, life would be poorer –in information, but, yes, even in entertainment.”
[„Fernsehen ist in einer demokratischen Gesellschaft ein wertvolles Gut, weit über den unterhaltenden Charakter hinaus. Mit seiner Vielfalt sorgt es dafür, dass Menschen jeden Alters, jeglicher Herkunft und mit jeglichem Bildungsgrad über die Entwicklungen in ihrem Land und im Rest der Welt auf dem Laufenden bleiben. Sie können sich eine Meinung bilden, weil auch schwierige Zusammenhänge in bewegten Bildern leichter zu verstehen sind. Ohne Fernsehen wäre das Leben ärmer – an Information und, ja, auch an Unterhaltung.” ]

— Dr. Marc Jan Eumann is the German State Secretary for Federal Affairs and the European Affairs and Media for the State of North Rhine-Westphalia(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations (1997 – 2006)

“Television can be a tremendous force for good. It can educate great numbers of people about the world around them. It can show us how much we have in common with our neighbours, near and far. And, it can shed light on the dark corners, where ignorance and hatred fester. The television industry is also in a unique position to promote mutual understanding and tolerance – with content that tells the stories not just about the powerful, but about the powerless, and not just about life in the world’s richest pockets, but also in the developing countries that are home to the majority of the world’s population.”

— Kofi Annan was Secretary General of the United Nations between 1997 and 2006
(Source: World Television Day message, 21 November 2003)

Natasha St-Pier, Canadian singer and jury member of The Voice Belgium

“I’ve always loved television: firstly as a member of the public and later as an artist. I believe that TV is a way to bring culture into the homes of everyone. From a personal point of view it gives me a chance as a singer and TV presenter to meet so many fascinating artists who both inspire me and help me grow professionally. By participating in a show such as The Voice Belgium, I get to give a little help to young talent, who only need that one chance to wow us through the unique window that TV offers. Despite a busy schedule, through telethons or the show ‘Restos du coeurs’, TV also allows me to give back. In short, TV is my life! ”
[“J’ai toujours aimé la télévision; en tant que public d’abord, puis en tant qu’artiste. La télé est un moyen de faire entrer la culture dans les maisons de tout le monde. D’un point de vue personnel cela me donne la chance en tant que chanteuse ou animatrice de rencontrer des artistes tellement fascinants qui m’inspirent et me font grandir dans mon métier. En participant à des émission comme The Voice Belgique j’ai la chance de donner un coup de pouce à de jeunes talents qui n’ont besoin que d’une chance, de cette vitrine qu’est la télé pour nous séduire. Malgré un emploi du temps chargé, via les téléthon ou les Restos du cœurs, la télé me permet aussi de donner à mon tour. Bref ma vie passe par la télé !”]

— Natasha St-Pier is a Canadian singer and member of the jury of The Voice Belgium Season 2 & 3(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / ACT)

Felix Baumgartner, Austrian skydiver, daredevil and BASE jumper

“People around me tell me that the live broadcast (both on TV and on the Internet) of my mission to the edge of space and of my record-breaking freefall jump from 23 miles above the earth offered a unique and magic moment to millions of people around the world … They say that witnessing live my breaking the speed of sound, protected only by a space suit made it possible for so many people to start believing that it is possible to push the limits of what one once thought was impossible … That those images allowed children and adults alike to share my dream or to simply start dreaming for themselves … and that they arouse for thousands an interest in science, physics, speed, extreme sports, etc. This makes me feel very fortunate …”

— Felix Baumgartner set the world record for skydiving in 2012 and became the first person to break the sound barrier without vehicular power on his descent
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT – Photo: Credit Red Bull Content Pull)

Helga Trüpel, Member of the European Parliament

“Television is still a medium that brings a lot of information, education and entertainment to people. TV plays an important role for the functioning of democracy because it gives people a variety of news, documentaries and opinions. Especially in the digital environment TV with its adaptation to digital distribution of content remains a crucial player of content offerer.”

— Helga Trüpel is a German Member of the European Parliament for the group of the greens/european free alliance, she is also the Vice-chair of the committee on culture and education
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2014 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Peter Neururer, German Football manager, coach and TV commentator

“Football accompanies my life, and the same is of course true for television. At first, I was happy that I could watch TV at all, mainly for football. The first time, it was in 1962, I remember well. It was incredible. I was at my neighbours’ house, and Germany was playing in Santiago de Chile against Yugoslavia… the first tears came, and TV was there with me to show me the images. SPORT1 gave me the possibility to look behind the camera too and to see things through the camera, to be able to commentate on events, just like I used to do on the field. Thank you for that! Television accompanies my life.”
[„Fußball begleitet mein Leben. Das gleiche beziehe ich natürlich auch auf das Fernsehen. Zuerst war ich froh dass ich Fernsehen gucken konnte, vor allem Fußball im Fernsehen gucken konnte. Das erste Mal, eigenartig, 1962, der ein oder andere der das jetzt hört kann sich das nicht vorstellen. Fernsehen beim Nachbarn, Santiago de Chile, Deutschland bei der Weltmeisterschaft in Chile gegen Jugoslawien, die ersten Tränen kamen, das Fernsehen war mit dabei, hat mir die Bilder übermittelt SPORT1 hat mir die Möglichkeit gegeben dass ich auch mal hinter die Kamera gucken kann, durch die Kamera mit Hilfe der Kamera die Sachen betrachten kann und auch kommentieren darf die ich früher selber angezapft und verzapft habe. Dankeschön dafür. Fernsehen begleitet mein Leben.”]

— Peter Neururer is an association football manager notable for coaching a number of German Bundesliga clubs. He was the manager of VfL Bochum until 2014.(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, Former president of Latvia

“Democracy requires a well-informed, inclusive and pluralistic public sphere; the media are, to a large extent, the creators as well as the “editors” of this public sphere. In this they become the holders of considerable power and may come to assume the status of a “fourth estate” within society. At the same time, the public service aspect and democratic function of media can come under threat either through political interference, undue commercial influence, or increasing social disinterest and indifference on the part of the general public.”

— Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, former president of Latvia, the sixth President of Latvia and the first female President (1999-2007)(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Thomas Helmer, former German Footballer and Commentator

“I can remember very well the first football game on TV that I was consciously aware of. It was in 1974 and it was the final of Germany against Holland. Today it is a lot of fun for me to be in front of the camera and to report about our attempts back then on the field. That’s why I am so happy today to be active on television, after my football career.”
[“Ich kann mich ganz genau an mein erstes Fußballspiel im Fernsehen erinnern das ich bewusst erlebt habe, das war 1974, nämlich das Finale Deutschland gegen Holland. Es macht heute riesen Spaß natürlich auch vor der Kamera zu stehen und über das zu urteilen was wir früher mal versucht haben ganz gut auf dem Platz darzustellen. Deswegen bin ich sehr sehr glücklich nach meiner aktiven Fußballkarriere jetzt auch beim Fernsehen sein zu dürfen.”]

— Thomas Helmer is a former German footballer, part of the European Championship winning team of 1996, and after retirement worked as a TV presenter and commentator(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Jean-Philippe Watteyne, Belgian chef

“Television has clearly changed my professional and personal life. Becoming a reality TV star had a tsunami effect for me. I have to say that I did not expect it and even less that it would last so long, because now even months after, I can still clearly feel the effects of Top Chef. After that, one has to keep their feet on the ground and keep on proving your worth. TV clearly gave us an incomparable push forward thanks to which I could open a second restaurant and the future looks bright. I really think that cooking shows on TV can inspire a new vocation to young people and can open doors to young talents who need a boost.”
[« La télévision a clairement changé ma vie personnelle et professionnelle. Devenir une star de télé-réalité a eu un effet de Tsunami pour moi. Je dois avouer que je ne m’attendais pas à cela et encore moins à ce que cela dure si longtemps, car des mois après, je ressens encore clairement les effets de mon passage dans Top Chef. Après cela, il faut réussir à garder les pieds sur terre et surtout continuer à assurer sur le long terme. Mais cela nous a donné un coup de pouce inégalable, grâce auquel nous avons déjà ouvert un deuxième restaurant et l’avenir s’annonce passionnant. Je crois vraiment que les émissions de cuisine à la télé peuvent inspirer des nouvelles vocations aux jeunes d’aujourd’hui et ouvrir des portes à beaucoup de jeunes talents qui ont besoin d’un tremplin. »]

— Jean-Philippe Watteyne was the Belgian finalist of Top Chef France 2013 and is the Chef and owner of the restaurant iCook!(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU; Photo credit: Anthony Florio)

Elisa Togut, Italian volleyball player

“Television has changed the habits of our society; it has brought us into come into contact with the history of different ethnic groups and distant countries. Television made us feel part of the world through images and news from far off lands, sometimes even unknown lands! As for me, television has changed my life. This largely happened one Sunday afternoon, 15 September 2002, when the Italian national team that I was playing with won the Volleyball World Championship. The final was broadcast on national channels and watched by many people. On top of that there was the pride and satisfaction of winning the Most Valuable Player award. When I returned to Italy, many people recognised me on the streets. I believe that ever since that day the Italian female volleyball movement has experienced a boom, both in terms of fans following matches in sports arenas and in terms of young girls enrolling in volleyball classes. Volleyball is now the most popular sport for females in Italy! Volleyball is still televised; however, it is considered as a “secondary” sport, and it does not get the same visibility as other activities such as football, so unfortunately we are forced to wait for major events such as the World Championships or Olympic games to be able to follow volleyball matches from our homes.”
[“La televisione ha cambiato le abitudini della nostra società, ha permesso la conoscenza della storia di etnie diverse, di paesi lontani dal nostro, ci ha fatto sentire parte del mondo attraverso immagini e notizie provenienti da luoghi lontanissimi e a volte sconosciuti!Nel mio piccolo la televisione ha cambiato la mia vita e soprattutto lo ha fatto quella domenica pomeriggio del 15 settembre 2002 quando a Berlino la Nazionale Italiana di pallavolo della quale facevo parte ha vinto il campionato Mondiale! La partita e’ stata trasmessa sulle reti nazionali ed e’ stata vista da tantissime persone. In più resta l’orgoglio personale di essere stata premiata miglior giocatrice del torneo. Al rientro in Italia molte persone mi riconoscevano e da quel giorno in poi credo che la pallavolo femminile abbia avuto un incremento di seguito anche nei palazzetti! Tante ragazzine dopo quell’impresa si sono iscritte ai corsi di volley e al momento in Italia rimane lo sport più praticato a livello femminile! Tutt’ora la pallavolo viene trasmessa in televisione, ma essendo pur sempre uno sport minore non ha la visibilità di altri sport e ci tocca aspettare sempre grandi eventi come Mondiali o Olimpiadi per riuscire a guardarcela da casa!”]

— ELISA TOGUT, Italian volleyball player who won the World Championship in Germany in 2002 as captain of the Italian Volleyball team and won the price of Most Valuable Player of the tournament.(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Bastian Baker, Swiss singer, songwriter, and performer

“Television is one of the most important media that exist. It is central to the dissemination of information on all occasions. It opens up a world to us that would not exist otherwise. Television is knowledge! It is also a great way to mobilise people around a number of different causes. It brings people together and connects them, during sporting events, for example. Moreover, television is an important and essential way to relay culture. Personally, it allows me to spread my music more broadly, thanks to original programming such as ‘Taratata’ and ‘The Voice’.”
[“La télévision est un des médias les plus importants qui existe. Elle est au cœur de l’information en toutes occasions. C’est un moyen d’avoir une ouverture sur la planète qui existerait difficilement autrement. La télévision est synonyme de connaissance ! Elle est également un magnifique moyen de mobilisation en faveur de diverses causes. Elle rassemble, comme lors d’événements sportifs, par exemple. Par ailleurs, c’est un relai important et essentiel pour la culture. A titre personnel, elle permet de pouvoir répandre ma musique d’une manière plus large, notamment grâce à des émissions originales comme « Taratata » ou « The Voice ».”]

— Bastian Baker is a Swiss singer, songwriter and performer.(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Dunja Mijatović, former OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media

“Access to information is one of the pillars of any democratic society. Television has played – and will always play – an immensely important role in safeguarding the right for anyone to access and obtain information, to share thoughts and ideas, to communicate and to do so freely and unrestricted. And with the ongoing switchover to digital broadcasting, with a spectrum capacity that far exceeds that of analogue, television will be key to expanding and fostering media pluralism and diversity.”

— Dunja Mijatović was the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media from 2010 to 2016(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Noel Curran, Director General, EBU

“Television broadcasters are proud to have the trust of their audiences. News and current affairs, on television in particular, are core to public service media (PSM). Informing all audiences with independent news and helping them to better understand the world is crucial for a democratic society. Through its Quality Journalism initiative, the EBU is building on the strength of the Eurovision newsroom and developing new services to help public service media sustain audience trust and remain a key source of information for individuals.”

— Noel Curran is a radio and television producer, former Director General at RTE Ireland and current Director General of the European Broadcasting Union since 2017(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2017 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

— Justine Henin was the World No. 1. tennis player in 2003 and Olympic champion in 2004(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Sir Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC)

“How TV coverage of Paralympians is contributing to a more inclusive society? Paralympic athletes have the ability to change the world. Their amazing performances and incredible stories teach the values of acceptance and appreciation for people with an impairment. They can change how people think about think about themselves and how they think about others contributing towards a more inclusive and equitable society. Such transformation is only possible however if people are able to see the athletes’ performances. This has not always been the case. The first Paralympic Games took place in Rome, Italy in 1960, however it was not until the 1992 Barcelona Games that they started to receive widespread TV coverage. Since 1992, and coinciding with increasing amounts of TV coverage, the Paralympics have developed an excellent track record for changing attitudes and perceptions of people with an impairment. The recent London 2012 Games attracted a record 2.72 million spectators all of whom were inspired by what they saw in the venues. However, far more people were left inspired and touched by what they saw on television. London 2012 was broadcast to over 115 different countries and territories reaching a cumulated TV audience of 3.8 billion people. They enjoyed what they saw. The Paralympics Games are unique in that they can put spectators and TV viewers through every single emotion, including ones we never thought we had. Post Games research conducted in Great Britain has revealed that 81% of people believe London 2012 had a positive impact on the way they view a person with an impairment. A further 65% said the Games were a breakthrough to viewing people with an impairment – up from 40% in June 2010. Not all the people surveyed were lucky enough to get a ticket to see the London Games. Most will have watched on TV. Thanks to TV coverage of Paralympic Games and other major international events, the Paralympic Movement is helping to build a bridge which links sport with social awareness. Long may it continue!”

— Sir Philip Craven is a former athlete and the current President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC)(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT – Photo: Credit IPC)

“TV is now the greatest cultural influence in the world. It crosses all human boundaries and has the capacity to bring people together, when used in a positive way, like no other medium. I love to watch TV ‎wherever I am in the world and never cease to be both entertained and informed by it. “

— Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, songwriter, businesswoman and philanthropist(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Vyacheslav Fetisov, Russian athlete and politician

“My entire life as a professional athlete and public figure is closely connected to television. I remember how the power of TV drove the evolution of the Olympic Games from a relatively large-scale event into the biggest spectacle for billions of viewers all over the planet, into a huge business and into big-time politics. As a player in the NHL, I felt the influence of television, its amazing power to create stars and destroy them just the same. Working as a minister in Russia on a sports development program, I was the first to call for the creation of a public sports television channel. I am sure that the future of our children depends to a great extent on realising the educational potential of television.”

“In what ways has TV changed my life? It has been a joy to share with everyone on the TV screen all that I was scared to tell any of my eight husbands. And I even got a lot of money for it.”
[„Hogy miben változtatta meg a TV az életemet? Minden olyan dolgot, amit addig nem mertem nyolc közöl semelyik férjemnek sem elmondani, boldogan megoszthattam mindenkivel a képernyőn és még sok pénzt is fizettek érte.”]

— ZsaZsa Gabor is a Hungarian-born American actress, who acted in movies, on Broadway, and on television(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT – Photo: Credit Wikipedia)

Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, former Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, United Nations

“Television is a tremendously powerful communications tool for building common understanding, dispelling myths and shedding light on global issues. The United Nations itself produces features, packages for broadcasters and live coverage of events to get its message out to the world. The UN Department of Public Information applauds the global celebration of World Television Day, and welcomes the chance to work with broadcasters to ensure that this great communications tool can benefit all of humanity.”

— Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal served as Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information at the United Nations until 2015(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT – Photo: Credit 516484 – UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe)

Taïg Khris, World Champion rollerblader and TV presenter

“Until quite recently, sliding sports were not so well known by people at large, while it represented a passion for many young people. I believe that thanks to television, we were able to bring rollerblading and other ramp sports into people’s living rooms, by broadcasting spectacular shows and promoting the values of sport: healthy lifestyle, perseverance, team spirit, fair play, overcoming your own limitations, a sense of responsibility, striving to achieve goals for yourself and the community. Beating records in live shows and participating or hosting sports programmes was the best way for me to share my passion and bring the spirit of rollerblading to millions of youngsters out there, looking for inspiration and role models. Without the power of television, I couldn’t have jumped from the Eifel Tower in rollerblades, reaching live more than 1 million people on what is usually a French niche-channel (W9), but also aired live on 167 other channels across the world. Shows like Extreme Adventure, of which I am the host now, is a great example of how television can widen your horizon by mixing culture and adrenaline.”

— Taïg Khris is the World Champion of rollerblading, a television host on W9, MCM and Extreme Sports Channel and the founder of Onoff Telecom
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Alejo Vidal-Quadras, former Member of the European Parliament

“As a frequent participant in Spanish politics TV shows, I believe that television offers a unique forum for the communication of new ideas, discussion of current events and the fostering of healthy debate. Many a politician embarked upon his or her career due in part to what they had seen on television. TV prevents us from living in isolation with only our own opinions and, used wisely, can provide a window onto the world in which we live. In particular, news programmes enable us to reach an unprecedented level of awareness about the lives of those in other parts of the world.”

— Alejo Vidal-Quadras was a Spanish MEP and the Vice-President of the European Parliament between 2004 and 2014(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Richard Curtis, British screenwriter and film director

“It’s impossible to overvalue the importance of television – both in its serious and less serious functions. It’s one of our most important ways of finding out the truth – and also of changing the world, and finding out what in the world needs changing. It’s also an immense bringer of joy – I learnt how to laugh through television, and now my children and I, every day of every week, share the joy and stupidity of TV shows – they actually make us HAPPY.”

— Richard Curtis is a British screenwriter, actor, film director and co-founder of Comic Relief (British charity organisation)(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT; Photo by Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images)

Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, former Member of the European Parliament

“Television, as one of today’s most powerful communications media, has a key role to play in raising citizens’ awareness about significant national and international concerns and challenges. TV is a real window on the changing world, on other civilisations. Television needs to take advantage of its strength in a fair, pluralistic way, while respecting human rights and universal values. In modern times, given the consequences of the serious economic crisis as well as the need for stability and peace in many regions of the world, its role becomes even more crucial”

— Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou was a Member of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2014 and Vice-President of the European Parliament from 2007 to 2012
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Alf Svensson, former Member of the European Parliament

“Without TV – politics would stop. New fresh impulses, ideas and political parties would not have a chance without TV. Before, crowds would gather in big parks to listen: today these are replaced by TVs. TV has finally made the world round for real!”

— Alf Svensson was a Member of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2014 and the leader of the Christian Democrats in Sweden from 1973 to 2004
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

“Freedom of expression is a comprehensive human right since it includes individuals’ possibility to actively speak out and seek and receive information. Public Service Broadcasting is particularly relevant to UNESCO’s core mission because it can serve as a cornerstone of democracy if it is guaranteed with pluralism, programming diversity, editorial independence and appropriate funding as well as accountability and transparency towards the public. That is why, between 2003-2010, UNESCO supported the development of a regional news exchange project in South East Europe. Women trafficking in the region, youth rights in EU and non-EU Balkan countries, industrial pollution in Croatia, sewage spillage in Serbia and environmental education were among the many issues public broadcasters covered as a group in their news and current affairs stories. Today, the news exchange project which has formed a stable self-sustainable network called ERNO, produces and exchanges more than 1,200 news items per year. Needless to say, television plays a vital role in raising local awareness of important issues relevant to this region of the world. Not only does television alert to the region’s most important issues, it also fosters cooperation and mutual understanding between South East European media, which provides, in turn, a framework for coordinated action towards tackling common political, economic and environmental crises.”

— Tarja Turtia, Programme Specialist, Division for Freedom of Expression and Media Development, UNESCO (UNESCO is the specialised United Nations agency tasked with defending the freedom of the press and promoting the free flow of information)(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Piotr Borys, former Member of the European Parliament

“I personally believe that television is a very influential form of media because it is a standard gateway of knowledge and information for the masses. It allows for the preservation of cultural diversity both at a local and a global level and provides for the introduction of other customs and languages. The best example that television removes boundaries is the fact that when I was on a delegation to Turkmenistan, people in the market from Ashkhabad recognised my language because their favourite TV channel was a Polish music channel. Television is a great source, not only of entertainment but also of education. I strongly believe that it is a great tool to promote standards of behaviour and democracy, which is very important from the point of view of the European Union activities.”

— Piotr Borys was a Member of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2014
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

— Laurence Tiennot-Herment is the President of AFM-TELETHON
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Heinz K. Becker, Austrian MEP

“Television has brought the political life into everyone’s living room and made politics a fixed part of everyday life, therefore enhancing and spreading democracy in ways no other medium before could even come close to. The internet and new media have taken over some of these important responsibilities and pushed the dissemination of democracy to the next level. However, I strongly believe that television and online media are not only complementary, but will eventually merge. Already television has transformed the world forever, but I think that its potentials are still far from exhausted.”

— Heinz K. Becker has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2011
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

André Roberfroid, former Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF and current President of the Association Montessori Internationale

“Television is mostly perceived as entertainment, sometimes as an educational tool, regretfully sometimes as an instrument of propaganda. In my experience as a UNICEF officer, I have discovered that TV is also an extremely powerful agent for social change. When the success of a program demands a change in people’s habits or mentality, television is by far the most effective instrument. It penetrates the inner circle of the family; it represents the life of the rich and famous and, as such, is perceived as being credible. When a message is ‘seen on TV’ it is most probably good for me! This TV impact has been proved in many occasions, in all kinds of social and geographic environments. It was effective when we promoted a massive program to immunise children. Without the mobilisation of the families we would never have been able to increase the vaccination coverage from 5% to over 90% during the 1980s. The families would never have accepted the message without television. Other programs to improve child nutrition, to promote personal hygiene and the importance of clean water, to encourage school enrolment for girls, to stimulate micro credits have equally benefited from the participation of TV partners. The lesson for me is that TV can be one of the best media for social change if we choose to. It reaches people and it is credible.”

— André Roberfroid is the former Deputy Executive Director UNICEF and currently President of the Association Montessori Internationale(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO, WPP

“TV is the most generous medium. It even seems to benefit its competitors.”

— Sir Martin Sorrell is Chief Executive Officer of the world’s largest advertising company
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Iliana Ivanova, former Member of the European Parliament

“Europe is at a crossroads and we must decide now in which direction we want to take it: towards more or less integration. In my view, there is only one direction: a strong, united Europe. This means we must all respect the core European values, i.e. the free movement of persons and workers, and the free flow and exchange of information. Television in particular has a responsibility to bring forth solidarity across Europe, and it is my belief that it can, will and does so on all accounts.”

— Iliana Ivanova is an economist and was a Bulgarian Member of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2014(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

— Jacques Borlée is a former Belgian athlete and European Athletics Coach of the Year 2011
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT – Photo: Credit RTBF)

Florent Ladeyn, Cook and owner of The “Auberge du Vert Mont”

“Television is an incredible communication medium that can be very positive if you know how to put things into perspective and keep a cool head… because its power is impressive! Taking part in Top Chef has changed many things in my life, but for me the most important thing is still to remain true to myself.”
[“La télévision est un incroyable moyen de communication qui peut être très positif si l’on sait prendre du recul et garder la tête froide ! Son pouvoir est impressionnant. Mon passage dans l’émission Top chef a changé beaucoup de choses dans ma vie mais l’important pour moi est avant tout de rester soi-même.”]

— Florent Ladeyn is the owner of The “Auberge du Vert Mont”; he was a finalist in Top Chef France 2013(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Yves Gonzalez-Quijano, French academic

“Everyone wants to talk about the role of social media in last year’s uprisings, but the big Arab television news channels played just as significant a part in the Arab Spring. There is a limit to the extent to which mobile phones can replace professional cameras: their short video sequences do not have the emotional impact of a feature on Al-Jazeera or Al-Arabiya, the two biggest news channels in the region. Their live reports from Tahrir Square and elsewhere were able to reach tens of millions of viewers. Surfing the net cannot provide the live thrill viewers got each Friday in February 2011, as their TV screens simultaneously relayed the demonstrations in Tunis, Cairo, Tripoli, Sana’a and Manama like major sporting events. These will remain in the popular imagination of the region for years.”

— Yves Gonzalez-Quijano is teacher-researcher of the Gremmo (Groupe de recherches et d’études sur la Méditerranée et le Moyen-Orient) and a professor at the University Lyon II
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Renārs Kaupers, Latvian rock star

“We didn’t even know before we entered the national contest what Eurovision was. But when we learned it meant playing for some 300 million people, we knew it was a good idea.”

— Renārs Kaupers is the lead singer of the Latvian pop/rock band Brainstorm
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Fundacja TVN “Nie jesteś sam”

“Since 1997 TVN has been, through its dedicated programs, at the cutting edge of journalism, telling the stories of the lives of those less fortunately than most. Quickly the stories became so moving and poignant that it became our mission to not only use television as a way to tell their story, but as a way of helping to make their lives better. This has resulted in a TVN Foundation delivering over EUR 36 million to various charitable causes across Poland.”

— The TVN Foundation is a non-governmental fundraising organization providing support to people suffering from illness, poverty and loneliness.
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Mainardo De Nardis, CEO, OMD Worldwide

“TV is the quintessential emotional medium – no other medium can compare to TV in terms of building an emotional connection between brand and consumer. While other channels may create a more personal dialogue, more depth of information or more hands-on experience it is the ability of TV to form deep, long-held emotional brand associations that is its most unique and unassailable benefit.”

— Mainardo De Nardis is the Chief Executive Officer of OMD Worldwide
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Nick Manning, former President International, Ebiquity plc

“TV can reach broad audiences, mass audiences, niche audiences; it can be local, regional, national; it can be spots, sponsorship, interactive. It can be anything you want it to be. I tend to think of TV as the Swiss Army knife of media, it’s got something for everybody.”

— Nick Manning was the President International of Ebiquity plc
(Source: Thinkbox & World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Rebecca Mir, finalist of “Germany’s next Topmodel” 2011 and German TV Moderator

“When I was a Child, I was dreaming about this colourful World, without skies and limits: Television. Now I am a part of it and it feels like being ‘Alice in Wonderland’. Diving into another world, escaping from the daily routine.”

— Rebecca Mir was the finalist of Germany’s next Topmodel 2011 and is a German TV Moderator(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Ivy Quianoo, Afro-German singer and winner of the first edition of The Voice of Germany

— Ivy Quianoo is an Afro-German singer and winner of the first edition of The Voice of Germany in 2012(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / ACT; photo credit: Jan Rasmus Voss)

Victoria Hislop, British author

“My novel The Island (originally written in England) was adapted two years’ ago into a 26-part television series by Mega TV and attracted a 70% audience share. I was a consultant on To Nisi (its Greek name) and worked with the all-Greek team of directors, actors and crew during the eighteen month production period. The quality of the end result was phenomenal, with 26-episodes made for the cost of one hour of American TV drama. It showed the depth of talent in Greece – from acting, cinematography and set design to music and make-up (a huge challenge, given that the subject matter of the story concerns the disease of leprosy). As well as Greece, the production has already been shown in Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia and will soon be aired in Finland and Hungary – and no doubt further countries in the future.”

— Victoria Hislop is the author of ‘The Island’, the novel adapted into a TV series by Greece’s Mega TV
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Jean-Michel Saive, former Belgian table tennis player

“In the late 1980s, table tennis was nowhere to be found on television. And then came the live broadcast of the match between La Villette and Levallois, a heart-stirring ping pong game followed by hundreds of thousands of TV viewers for more than four hours on end! It certainly appealed to the viewers but, importantly, also to a handful of policymakers, and from that point onward live broadcasts of table tennis became a fact of Belgian TV. Those four hours of table tennis that are engraved in the history of Belgian sport also stand for the sharing of one of my main driving forces, namely passion!”
[“A la fin des années ’80, le tennis de table était totalement absent des écrans belges. Et puis il y eut cette retransmission du match entre La Villette et Levallois, un match palpitant suivi par des centaines de milliers de téléspectateurs pendant plus de … 4 heures ! De quoi séduire à la fois un public mais surtout quelques décideurs, qui ont ensuite permis aux grands moments du tennis de table belge d’être diffusé en direct. Ces heures-là, gravées dans l’histoire du sport belge, représentent aussi pour moi le partage de ce qui a toujours été l’un de mes principaux moteurs : la passion !”]

— Jean-Michel Saive is a former Belgian professional table tennis player(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Anggun, French singer and songwriter

“Television has been able to embrace music and image together. Without television, music will not be what it is nowadays.”

— Anggun Cipta Sasmi is an Indonesian and French singer, and songwriter(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Salman Amin, non-executive director, ITV

“Wouldn’t it in our best interest to know what the next big thing is? Wouldn’t we love to have a crystal ball, to see what will dominate our attention? And something that will be with us for sure for the next five, ten, perhaps if we call it right even for the next fifteen years? Well I think I actually do. And I think it’s an unexpected force that does take the digital world by storm and I guarantee will be the prime focus of all our professional lives for a number of years to come. … What is that thing? … For me … It’s just television. … It’s been around for more than fifty years. … TV is all about entertainment, engagement for you.”

“When I was younger, I watched a great deal of television. This is actually how I truly discovered the Olympic Games. I felt genuine emotion when I watched the 2008 Beijing Olympics – it was as though I experienced the athletes’ own joys and sorrows. I looked up to them. They fuelled my appetite for success and my ambition to become an Olympian one day myself. It all paid off four years later, with the entire world watching me on their TV screens. I’m glad to have shared my medal and joy with them, and I hope this will push young people across the world to believe in their dreams and to pursue them, as I have.”
[“Quand j’étais plus jeune, je regardais beaucoup la télévision, c’est d’ailleurs ainsi que j’ai vraiment découvert les Jeux Olympiques. C’etait comme réel j’avais l’impression de pouvoir ressentir les joies et les peines des athlètes lors des Jeux de pékin. Ils m’ont servi d’exemple, donné l’envie, la motivation de vouloir être un jour a leur place. 4 années plus tard, j’y suis je sais que le monde entier me regarde aussi derrière leur écran, et je suis ravie d’avoir partagé ma médaille, ma joie avec eux. Et j’espère que cela va pousser le jeune public du monde entier à croire en leur rêve et à les poursuivre comme j’ai pu le faire.”]

— Priscilla Gneto is a French judoka, Olympic bronze medallist at the London 2012 Summer Olympics(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Gerrit Heijkoop, Founder, How Can I Be Social (HCIBS)

“I believe TV has made the world a smaller place, bringing countries, cultures and beliefs closer together. This creates a feeling of one world with one people. A feeling which is much needed to overcome the current global challenges we are facing.”

— Founder, How Can I Be Social (HCIBS)
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Ottmar Hitzfeld, former Swiss national football coach

“I share the quote of the great former US-actress Bette Davis. She said once: TV is marvellous: Not only does it give you headaches – it also shows you advertising spots about the pills you have to take against them!”

— Ottmar Hitzfeld is a former coach of the Swiss football team and a sports pundit for Sky
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Yana Marinova, Bulgarian actress

“Once upon a time there was a girl who dreamed of being an actress, although at the time she was working as a restaurant manager. She found her way into the world of TV through soap operas, and it was then that people started to recognise her, after becoming a TV host, a reality star and staring in the hugely successful series The Glass House on bTV in Bulgaria. Today she gives autographs to people on the streets. That’s the story of my life, I love it and adore TV!”

— Yana Marinova is an actress from Bulgaria
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Gregorio Duvivier, Brazilian actor and screenwriter

“TV is a fundamental building block of the Brazilian nation. It ensures the cultural and linguistic unity of a country in which significant parts of the population are largely, if not entirely, illiterate, that is to say only managing to write down their own names. Since neither literature nor film has been able to reach the nation en masse, television has taken up that responsibility. In Brazil, TV’s responsibility is thus huge, when it comes to producing programs. This essentially means TV has to gradually mould the identity of a country still going through its phase of self-discovery or, rather, self-invention. We must not think of television as a business but as a very powerful component in the building of a collective unconscious. This is perhaps why Globo, our largest TV network, is nicknamed ‘The Dream Factory’.”

— Gregorio Duvivier is a Brazilian actor and screenwriter(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Ram Kapoor, Indian television actor

“Television always carried me: be it at my beginnings in small series and telefilms, or through my success in Kasamh Se and Bade Acche Lagte Hain. Thanks to TV, I saw an incredible dream come true: I could incarnate good and bad people, share my joys and pains with the audience, but also be part of this incredible medium that can educate and entertain at the same time! And with new TV platforms, the journey has only just started …”

— Ram Kapoor is an Indian television actor, awarded 15 times with prestigious national television awards(Source: An interview at the Media Guardian Edinburgh Television Festival, August 2011)

Giannis Loukakos, MasterChef Judge

“Anyone can cook if they put their mind to it, but how many can develop their culinary skills without spending much, discover new cooking techniques as well as recipes and learn about diet habits from around the world? Nowadays, it seems that everybody can do that through television. Since cooking shows have been integrated by TV stations to their programmes, people seem more and more interested in learning how to improve their nutrition. As a chef, I feel very fortunate that I was given the opportunity to be part of all this and to share my knowledge, not only with young and talented cooks, but also with every television viewer who is interested in quality food.”

— Giannis Loukakos has been a Judge on ‘MasterChef’ on the Greek TV station Mega Channel from 2010-2013
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

António Victorino D`Almeida, Portuguese composer, pianist and writer

“It is a fact that I owe my early fame as a musician – that is to say, as a classically-trained pianist and composer – to television. It is also by making television programmes that, several years onwards, I was able to draw the general public’s attention to classical music. With the success of my TV shows – some 150 to date – I’ve become a national voice of the Portuguese people, from high society to the lower orders and everyone in between. That said, and much to my sorrow, I do not believe that my shows, despite my continually promoting their educational merits, have contributed to greater availability of classical music, as the Portuguese have no access to this particular music. Even though 99% of the Portuguese refer to me as ‘Maestro’, they have no real knowledge of classical music, the reason being that it is deprived of public exposure. The onslaught of mainstream music, relentlessly forcing its way through every communication platform, means that wide distribution of classical music is virtually impossible. As such, it is my belief that 99% of the people who cross me in the street or otherwise actually think I am an archaeologist, as they are oblivious to the very existence of classical music.”

— António Victorino D`Almeida is a Portuguese musician and writer
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Gheorghe Zamfir, Romanian artist

“Television is as powerful as nuclear force. It can destroy or save a nation”,

— Gheorghe Zamfir is a Romanian artist(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Radu Beligan, Romanian actor

“I strongly believe that in the modern era, television is the new agora of society. Unfortunately, sometimes, it happens that some TV people ignore the social and moralizing role that have, in theory, enriched the institutions they serve, and transform this wonderful gift of modern technology in a tool for manipulation, or worse, in a weapon of ignorance. Fortunately, these false prophets of the small screen are a minority. Imposture is quickly noticed, in television as elsewhere. The real TV stations and the real people who work there are a force, a pillar of the society in which we live, one of the basic elements of the freedom humanity is aspiring at, for centuries, freedom that we will be able to achieve in the close or distant future.”

TV people talk TV!

TV personalities talk about their medium!

Philippe Delusinne, former ACT President & CEO of RTL Belgium

“In the digital era, while we offer our professional content on multiple screens, linear TV remains the leading medium. Television is an instantaneous and effective communications medium, and this position comes with certain responsibilities to society. It is our task and our honour to report on important events across the world, to drive debates and to encourage people to reflect. Today is a day to realise that TV is there for us and that we fulfil many social roles through creating and distributing programmes that inform, engage and entertain millions of people across the world.”

— Philippe Delusinne is the former President of ACT and Chief Executive Officer of RTL Belgium(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Katty Roberfroid, Director General, egta

“At a time when advertisers demand transparency and brand- safety, the trusted environment that television offers seems more relevant than ever. TV excels at offering a premium and sound environment for commercial communications, not only because broadcasters have been operating in this environment for decades, but also because TV is measured and audited by trust-worthy third parties, framed by strict legal rules and its content is produced highly professionally. This is truly the DNA of television even as it transforms digitally to operate on new online platforms. The editorial responsibility vis-à-vis consumers and brands alike remains unchanged – and even emphasised – in the online video sphere.”

— Katty Roberfroid is Director General at egta(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2017 – for egta / ACT)

Gérald-Brice Viret, Director, Canal+

“Television has always been part of my life. As I was born at the end of the sixties, I am a true « TV native » and ever since, I’ve always wanted to be part of this adventure, to participate in the creation of informative content, to entertain and to make people dream. I have been a journalist and a television host along with many other roles. I have directed many television channels, all different from one another, and today I am standing behind the camera, yet still with the same aim: offering to our viewers, who trust us every day, the best and most suitable content. Furthermore, as the President of the Association of Digital Cable and Satellite channels for a year now, at a key moment for the future of our medium which is challenged by digitalisation and new entrants to the market, I find it exciting to work on inventing the thematic channels of tomorrow.”
[“La télévision a toujours fait partie de ma vie. Né à la fin des années 60, je suis un véritable « TV native » et j’ai su très tôt que je voulais faire partie de cette aventure, participer à la création de contenus pour informer, divertir, faire rêver. J’ai été journaliste, animateur… J’ai dirigé beaucoup de chaînes, toutes différentes les unes des autres, et je suis maintenant derrière la caméra mais toujours avec la même volonté : offrir le meilleur et le plus adapté aux téléspectateurs qui nous regardent et nous font confiance. Par ailleurs, en tant que président de l’ACCeS depuis 1 an, à un moment clé de l’avenir du média TV challengé par le numérique et les nouveaux entrants, je trouve passionnant de travailler à inventer les chaînes thématiques de demain.”]

— Gérald-Brice Viret is the Director of Canal+ in France, he is also the former President of ACCeS (Association of digital cable and satellite channels)(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2014 – for egta / ACT)

Jan Isenbart, former egta President & Chief Research Officer at AS&S

“TV has impressively broken its historical linear chains, its one-way signal and its living-room constraints. Today’s global media sphere is mainly a video sphere; and within this video sphere, it is the daily professional content from TV stations all over the planet that we dedicate by far the biggest chunk of our screen-time to. In fact, almost any digital device is also a TV screen today…or will be soon! TV’s reach, impact and effectiveness thus remain unchallenged, be it for information, entertainment or commercial communication..”

“TV’s worldwide audience is not only staying faithful but growing fast as viewers tune in to top quality content made and acquired by broadcasters. We are extremely proud to be among the most trusted media, and are constantly searching for new world-class content to continue to entertain and inform millions of people around the world each week.”

— Magnus Brooke is the Chairman of the ACT Board of Directors(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2017 – for egta / EBU / ACT)

Gina Nieri, Executive Director, Mediaset

“TV is nowadays multiscreen: talent and reality shows continue to register record-high audience shares among millennials and young adults which engage with TV content from different devices and platforms. Quality TV content is a fantastic driver of social interaction in the digital ecosystem: social networks, catch-up services and live streaming on mobile devices all depend upon the creative input and financial investments undertaken by broadcasters. TV is meaningful, reliable, accountable: meaningful in terms of its contribution to cultural, social and democratic development, reliable because of the safeguards implemented to ensure a safe viewing experience to minors and families, accountable for it does take responsibility vis-a-vis its viewers and contributes to general welfare and GDP growth (job creation, copyright remuneration, direct and indirect taxation). Last but not least, it continues to provide most viable investment opportunities for the promotion of commercial brands.”

— Gina Nieri is the Executive Director of Mediaset S.p.A.
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2015 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Franz Prenner, Former egta President & Head of Research at ORF Enterprise Austria

“Television viewing across most European countries is stable or increasing. Throughout the European Union, the average viewer tunes in for 236 minutes a day. The odd fluctuation cannot mask the big picture that people love to consume quality content on multiple screens, including OTT. TV is only beginning to embrace its golden age!”

— Franz Prenner is the former Head of Research at ORF Enterprise
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2014 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Heikki Rotko, Former CEO of MTV Oy Finland

“The digital r-evolution has allowed television to free itself from the constraints of time and space and to travel seamlessly from the living room to a multitude of screens, offering viewers of all ages, genders and nationalities a renewed and much richer experience around content and information when and wherever they want. These are exciting times for broadcasters; times when we reinvent, transform and add value to an activity that consumes the major part of most people’s days and when we consider how to best harness the great potential of both linear and on-line television to help develop attitudes and responses to the world we all inhabit.”

— Heikki Rotko is the Former Chief Executive Officer of MTV Oy Finland
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Jean-Paul Philippot, President of EBU

“The EBU has 63 Active TV Members in 55 countries, operating 937 TV channels broadcasting in 69 languages with a potential audience of 1.02 billion people,” Mr Philippot said. “It gives a voice to those who would otherwise go unheard and by serving all sections of society; it promotes tolerance and understanding and facilitates debate around issues of national concern.”

— Jean-Paul Philippot is the President of European Broadcasting Union and Executive Director of the RTBF
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2014 – for egta / ACT)

Dan Negru, Romanian TV host

“Television is the only profession where what you dream at night is likely to happen the next day. If you want to create, in the middle of summer, a Christmas atmosphere on a TV set, in front of the cameras, this thing is possible and millions of viewers who watch you will be enchanted by this atmosphere. Television is a walk through people’s dreams.”

— Dan Negru is a Romanian TV host on Antena 1(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2014 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Gerhard Zeiler, President of Turner Broadcasting International

“TV is and will remain the leading medium – whether it’s public broadcasting, commercially funded Free-TV, or whether it is our new growth engine, Pay-TV; whether it is distributed via broadcasting or on demand: The future of TV is – TV!”

— Gerhard Zeiler is the President of Turner Broadcasting International(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Michael Peters, Chief Executive Officer of Euronews

“The technology revolution in the media world is a fantastic opportunity to improve access to knowledge and education: new user experience and unlimited discovery are key factors in bringing people onto the path of independent thinking. Technology is an essential part of the future of education, our mission is to deliver the most valuable content to the right place, at the right time, and for free.”

— Michael Peters, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Executive Board of Euronews(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Morgan O’Sullivan, TV producer

“In recent years, as a producer, it has been an honour and a privilege to be a part of this new wave of TV drama content in what could be described as another “golden age of television”.”

— Morgan O’Sullivan is one of Ireland’s leading producers and has worked on numerous TV & Film productions including “Vikings”, “Camelot” and “Tudors”.(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Tobias Schmid, Commissioner for European Affairs, representing the German media authorities within EPRA

— Tobias Schmid is the Commissioner for European Affairs for the German media authorities and Director of the State Media Authority of North Rhine-Westfalia(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

David Abraham, CEO, Channel 4

“If we needed an example of the transformational power of television, then the London 2012 Paralympics would surely fit the bill. This point was brought home to me when my colleagues and I received several moving letters and e-mails from viewers who are disabled themselves or are parents of disabled children. They explained how television helped broaden their on-screen relationship with the Paralympic athletes – a relationship based on generosity and the authenticity of their talents, with positive images, memories and experiences galore. Thanks to Channel 4 and commercially-funded television, the full potential of the Paralympics was realised as it changed public perception of disability and disabled sport.”

— David Abraham is the Chief Executive of the United Kingdom’s Channel 4(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Gilles Bouleau, TV journalist and news anchor

“I am from a generation where it was common for homes not to be equipped with a television. It was a rare and magical object to my 11/12 year old self who watched Zorro and Tintin at the neighbours’ house once a week when I did not have class. Like many people, television was for me my university. I loved watching ‘The theatre tonight’ and ‘At the movies tonight’ presented by Armand Panigel. It was an incredible window on the world. From the suburbs, I could see the world through television with the programme ‘Letters from one end of the world’. It made me want to discover things and prepared me for my current job. When I have time, I like to watch live sports. I love being immersed in the big events, brought to a higher level through television.”
[“Je suis d’une génération où il était courant que les foyers ne soient pas équipés en télévision. C’était un objet rare et magique et jusqu’à mes 11/12 ans, je regardais Zorro et Tintin chez la voisine une fois par semaine, lorsque je n’avais pas cours. Comme pour beaucoup de gens, la télévision a été ensuite pour moi mon université. J’aimais beaucoup regarder ‘Au théâtre ce soir’ et ‘Au cinéma ce soir’ présenté par Armand Panigel. C’était une fenêtre incroyable sur le monde. De ma banlieue, j’ai pu découvrir le monde grâce à la télévision avec ‘Lettres d’un bout du monde’. Elle m’a donné envie de découvrir des choses et m’a nourri pour le métier que je fais aujourd’hui. Quand j’ai le temps, j’aime regarder le sport en direct. J’aime être immergé dans les grands évènements, sanctuarisés grâce à la télévision.”]

— Gilles Bouleau is a French journalist and news anchor for the news programme of TF1(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Claire Chazal, French journalist and director of news on TF1

“Newscasts have played a significant role in recent decades. On the political level, they have become both an indispensable forum and an active place of fruitful discussions for all electoral events. Not as a means of manipulating public opinion but, in my view, as an information tool, governed by strict rules of impartiality. At the international level, certain images of conflict have winged their way around the world, thus raising awareness and at times compelling leaders to take action. This was the case, for instance, for the war in former Yugoslavia and the subsequent intervention of NATO. Through its decisive power, television has become, whether one likes it or not, the premier source of information, and it is this very power that compels journalists to show uncompromising respect for the journalistic code of ethics.”
[“Les Journaux Télévisés ont joué un rôle considérable au cours des dernières décennies. Sur le plan politique, ils sont devenus une tribune incontournable et un lieu de débats fructueux pour tous les rendez-vous électoraux. Non pas un moyen de manipulation de l’opinion, mais, à mon sens, un instrument d’information, encadré par de strictes règles d’impartialité. Sur le plan international, certaines images de conflits, en faisant le tour du monde, ont provoqué une véritable prise de conscience, et ont même parfois forcé les dirigeants à l’action. Ce fut le cas par exemple pour la guerre dans l’ex-Yougoslavie et l’intervention de l’OTAN. Par sa puissance, la télévision est devenue, qu’on le veuille ou non, le 1er moyen d’information, et c’est cette puissance même qui impose à ses journalistes un respect intransigeant de la déontologie.”]

— Claire Chazal is a French journalist and former director of news on TF1(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

“The late Walter Cronkite said to me in an interview when I asked him if the media is becoming too powerful: ‘To make democracy function, the media can never be too powerful. The media must have enough power to distribute facts, views and opinions so the people can use their power.’ Television does this better than anything else and best when broadcasting live.One real personal experience of the possibilities was a live transmission from my airplane heading towards the erupting volcano Eyjafjallajökull in 2010. A foreign reporter was sitting beside me, and we and the television spectators all over the world were looking from the backseat at us and through the windshield at the volcano when huge invisible shock waves begin to slam the airplane so it could clearly be heard. The reporter began to shout in terror, because he had never witnessed anything like this, and neither had anybody else in the audience. I remained calm and tried to comfort him by telling him that I have heard, seen and felt similar shock waves in one of the 23 eruptions I‘ve reported over the years. This is an example of television at its brilliant best, because “life is live.” A few days later, after many attempts, I manage to film for the first and only time in history the shock waves between twilight and darkness when they can be seen. This is one of the reasons that I am a pilot and also a reporter. I can be in the air and on the air at the same time.”

— Ómar Ragnarsson is an Icelandic TV reporter, entertainer and environmentalist(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Gísli Marteinn Baldursson, Icelandic TV presenter

“Television has the power to unite a nation and indeed the world around events happening anywhere. Some countries, Iceland among them, still has televised events that draws over 90% of the population to the screen at the same time. No other home appliance, media, app or computer game has that kind of power. I got my first real job in television 20 years ago. After that I worked in politics for a decade, but have recently gone back to doing TV. It feels like home. Even though politics can be quite satisfying when you see things getting done, the long time influence of television on the ideas that shape the world are clearer to me now than ever before. Turn it on.”

— Gísli Marteinn Baldursson is an Icelandic TV presenter and former Reykjavik City Council member(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Günther Jauch, German TV host

“Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? lives by the diversity of its contestants, so television is constantly new and surprising for me.”

— Günther Jauch is a leading television personality and host of the German version of ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Peter Nyman, Finnish TV news anchorman

“In the beginning man walked on the moon, as author Jonas Gardell put it. The first great memories of my generation were born on the television screen. The more modern computer I understand, or attempt to understand, with my mind, but I will always primarily understand television with my heart. Television is the altar of my generation.”

— Peter Nyman is the anchorman for Finland’s leading TV channel, MTV3
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Peter Kloeppel, former Editor in Chief of RTL Television in Germany

“News is my life, TV is my medium – and I love it!”

— Peter Kloeppel is former Editor in Chief of RTL Television and anchorman of ‘RTL Aktuell’
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Sebastian Höffner, German TV host

“When I was a child I loved TV series like The Fall Guy and Magnum and of course I wanted to become a private investigator, too. Later when I started watching the major Saturday night shows, I realised that I wanted to become a host – and that’s my job today. I would say that TV influenced me in a positive and sustainable way.”

— Sebastian Höffner is a moderator on Sky TV in Germany
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Wadah Khanfar, Director General of Al Jazeera (2006 – 2011)

“When the [Mubarak] government brought down the internet and [bloggers] could not send anything, Al Jazeera and other broadcasters … picked up the coverage. The coverage started with the bloggers and internet activists but it was amplified and sent to everyone’s home through traditional screens and mainstream media.”

— Wadah Khanfar was the Director General of Al Jazeera until 2011
(Source: Al Jazeera and the Arab Spring, Chatham House, 19 January 2012)

István Szellő, Hungarian TV host

“If you are not aware of the news, you don’t know your place within the world. And if you don’t know what’s going on around you, you can’t help others.”

— István Szellő presents the news on RTL Klub, one of Hungary’s leading television stations
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Christophe Giltay, Belgian journalist

“As a junior reporter, I would always say that I was not ‘making television’ but that I was a journalist who appeared ‘on television’ and that TV was interchangeable with radio or print media. But that was a misjudgement on my part, because television is not radio (which I love), television is not print media, and this is perhaps how it changed my life. I was born in the early 60s, which makes me a TV native, as opposed to the digital natives of today. Whereas for young people today everything involves the internet, television was the quintessential medium of my generation, what it was all about. I always knew this but only gradually admitted it: its impact, the power of images, how it magnifies tenfold a message compared with other media … and then, one day, the baker recognises you. Some will say that they don’t care – that’s a lot of swank. It makes you happy, you feel as proud as punch! So yes, television has changed my life by making it more exciting, and I am grateful for that.”
[“Quand j’étais débutant j’aimais à dire que je ne faisais pas « de télévision », mais que j’étais journaliste « à la télévision », et que cela aurait été la même chose à la radio ou dans un journal. Mais c’était une erreur, la télévision ce n’est ni la radio (que j’adore), ni la presse écrite, et c’est peut-être en ça qu’elle a changé ma vie. Né au début des années 60, je suis un « TV native », comme on parle aujourd’hui de « Digital native ». Si pour un jeune d’aujourd’hui tout passe par le net, pour ceux de ma génération la télévision était le média de référence, l’aboutissement. Je le savais mais je ne l’ai admis que progressivement. La puissance, la force de l’image, le message décuplé par rapport aux autres médias… et puis bien sûr, un jour, la boulangère qui vous reconnaît. Certains vous diront qu’ils s’en moquent… C’est de l’esbroufe, ça fait plaisir, on se sent fier comme Artaban ! Alors oui, la télévision a changé ma vie en la rendant plus passionnante, et je lui en suis reconnaissant.”]

— Christophe Giltay is a reporter for Belgium’s RTL-TVI
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Sarah Valentina Winkhaus, German TV host

“When I did my first TV piece I knew: This is it! And until today, nothing has changed. TV enables us to quench our thirst for knowledge – in a colourful and entertaining way.”

— Sarah Valentina Winkhaus hosted the Sky production ‘Kinopolis’ in Germany, now moderator of Spots 1
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Cristina Cordula, French TV host on M6

“I use television as a modern mirror that allows people to better understand and, as such, boost their self-image. This way, they can play up their best assets. Television is a way for me to convey my optimism to people and bring them hope and joy.”
[“J’utilise la télévision comme un miroir moderne qui permet aux gens de mieux comprendre leur image afin de l’améliorer, et ainsi mettre en valeur le meilleur d’eux-mêmes .C’est pour moi une façon de leur communiquer mon optimisme et leur donner de l’espoir et de la joie.”]

“Television has been, for me, a window onto the wider world. As a teenager I was fascinated by TV presenter Philippe de Dieuleveult. He was the host of French game show series La Chasse Aux Trésors (The Treasure Hunt). In the series, he would travel the world and show live footage of his unlikely encounters with distant populations. This made me want to travel. Today, television is still that gateway to the world, and it makes those who are unable to travel become aware – albeit not wholly – of the world surrounding us.”
[“La télévision a été pour moi une fenêtre qui s’ouvrait sur le monde. Quand j’étais adolescent, j’étais fasciné par l’animateur français Philippe de Dieuleveult qui dans « la chasse aux trésors » parcourait le monde et nous offrait, en direct, des rencontres improbables avec les peuples de pays lointains. Cela m’a donné l’envie de voyager. Aujourd’hui, la télévision reste cette fenêtre ouverte sur le monde et permet à ceux qui ne peuvent voyager d’avoir conscience de la réalité, certes partielle, du monde qui nous entoure.”]

— Michel De Maegd presents the news on RTL Belgium
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Antonia Erős, Hungarian TV news host

“I like television and even prefer producing television programmes to watching the telly. The fact that millions expect us to announce the news items evening by evening is one of the biggest things in our profession, and this huge publicity has made it possible for me to talk about my favourite subject: diabetes.”

— Antonia Erős hosts the news on RTL Klub in Hungary
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

“Television in my life has played a pivotal role from early childhood – it is a normal part of everyone’s life. Over time you start to perceive television differently – my perception developed when I started to study a television-related field, and again after I started working in television and had the chance to witness it from behind the scenes. It is exciting to be at the source of information, to participate in major projects and to communicate that information to people, especially through live broadcasting. It is amazing to see how the news is made and how television works from the inside.”

— Lucie Borhyová in a news anchor on TV Nova
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Jess Molho, Turkish actor and presenter

“TV came into my life in a surprising way approximately 20 years ago and became my job. In other words, TV, itself, became my career. Today, “the black box” provided me everything I have in my life.”

— Jess Molho is a Turkish Actor and TV presenter.(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Ebru Akel, Turkish actress and TV presenter

“My first engagement with TV was during my school years. The imagination of being on TV indisputably contributed richness and deepness to my acting and presenting career. Live broadcasting experience allowed me to be recognised by the public, reaching the public by acting in various TV series and developing great experience and knowledge about many topics. I am proud of my approximately ten “the best TV presenter” awards that I received for the shows that I presented. I am respectful to my job and love it very much. I congratulate all TV sector workers on “World TV Day”.”

— Ebru Akel is a Turkish Actress and TV presenter.(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Eylem Şenkal, Turkish national volleyball player

“TV enabled my performance to be reached by not hundred or thousand people, but millions. It is the most critical factor for those people who are engaged in visual arts. Therefore, it is indispensable for us.”

— Eylem Şenkal is a Turkish model, TV star and volleyball player.(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Yüksel Aytuğ, Turkish Television Columnist

“The invention of TV is like the conquest of Istanbul by Mehmet the Conqueror. TV, as he did, ended an era and started new one. New kinds of art and artistic concepts have emerged with TV, just as happened in the Renaissance. TV became the vehicle for many concepts. Especially in developing countries, TV has the responsibility of duty of a teacher or parents. Or, as is the case in Latin countries, football broadcasting is used as drug to illusion people. TV is like uranium. In good hands, it can be used to supply electricity to a whole country. In bad hands, it can devastate a country in sociocultural dimensions.”

— Yüksel Aytuğ is a Turkish journalist , editor, writer and television Columnist.(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Steven Gätjen, German TV host

“TV is fascinating – at its best moments it is the campfire of our generation. And I’m allowed to be the storyteller by its side. That is fantastic.”

— Steven Gätjen was the moderator of ‘Schlag den Raab’ on ProSieben until its last episode in 2015. Currently at ZDF.(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Birgit Schuurman, Dutch rock singer and actress

“Hello, I’m Birgit Schuurman and I think television is the perfect medium to make us aware that there is more than just our own life.”

— Birgit Schuurman is a Dutch rock singer and actress (Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Victoria Terziiska, Bulgarian actress and TV presenter

“The most important thing for me is the fact that you never lose the thrill of entertaining people, and you never have a 100% guarantee of the final product. There is a reason why we call media the fourth estate! The feeling of holding this force in your hands is indescribable.”

— Victoria Terziiska is an actress and former presenter of ‘The Voice’ on bTV Bulgaria
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Pernille La Lau, Dutch TV host

“Each day I’m very proud and honoured to be in the homes of people via TV and to share our emotions & stories. I think it brings us closer together.”

— Pernille La Lau is a host on RTL Nederland
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Quinty Trustfull, Dutch TV host

“Hi my name is Quinty Trustfull and I’m host on Dutch television, and I think that television is a huge inspiration for a lot of people.”

— Quinty Trustfull is a host on RTL Nederland
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

What they say about television…

Influential personalities in the world of politics, social advocacy, sports, culture, entertainment and media share their experiences on how television has contributed to their career or to the promotion of their cause.

(In alphabetical order)

Lars Adaktusson, Swedish MEP

“Television provides us with indispensable news and information – in real time. Furthermore TV is the medium that opens up the world, conveys presence and makes us contestants in events that later end up in history books. Television carries knowledge, feelings and awareness which ultimately stimulates diversity and strengthens fundamental democratic values.”

— Lars Adaktusson is a Swedish Member of the European Parliament and used to be a highly regarded journalist and a television news anchor(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2014 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations (1997 – 2006)

“Television can be a tremendous force for good. It can educate great numbers of people about the world around them. It can show us how much we have in common with our neighbours, near and far. And, it can shed light on the dark corners, where ignorance and hatred fester. The television industry is also in a unique position to promote mutual understanding and tolerance – with content that tells the stories not just about the powerful, but about the powerless, and not just about life in the world’s richest pockets, but also in the developing countries that are home to the majority of the world’s population.”

— Kofi Annan was Secretary General of the United Nations between 1997 and 2006
(Source: World Television Day message, 21 November 2003)

José Manuel Barroso, former President of the European Commission

“Television has a remarkable ability to keep pace with the change that we see around us on a daily basis. As people crave information, entertainment and education so television allows them to learn, to question and to form their own opinion. Politics, whether at a European or a national level, exists for the people. A robust and independent media raises awareness and reports about the successes and challenges facing Europeans today. The emotional power of television enables viewers to explore, to empathise, to engage and to sustain democracies.”

— José Manuel Barroso was President of the European Commission from 2004 to 2014, and was Portuguese prime minister from 2002 to 2004(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Heinz K. Becker, Austrian MEP

“Television has brought the political life into everyone’s living room and made politics a fixed part of everyday life, therefore enhancing and spreading democracy in ways no other medium before could even come close to. The internet and new media have taken over some of these important responsibilities and pushed the dissemination of democracy to the next level. However, I strongly believe that television and online media are not only complementary, but will eventually merge. Already television has transformed the world forever, but I think that its potentials are still far from exhausted.”

— Heinz K. Becker has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2011
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Piotr Borys, former Member of the European Parliament

“I personally believe that television is a very influential form of media because it is a standard gateway of knowledge and information for the masses. It allows for the preservation of cultural diversity both at a local and a global level and provides for the introduction of other customs and languages. The best example that television removes boundaries is the fact that when I was on a delegation to Turkmenistan, people in the market from Ashkhabad recognised my language because their favourite TV channel was a Polish music channel. Television is a great source, not only of entertainment but also of education. I strongly believe that it is a great tool to promote standards of behaviour and democracy, which is very important from the point of view of the European Union activities.”

— Piotr Borys was a Member of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2014
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Dr. Marc Jan Eumann, German State Secretary for Federal Affairs

“Television is a valuable asset in a democratic society, and much more than only for entertainment purposes. Thanks to its variety it ensures that people of every age, from all backgrounds and levels of education are informed about developments happening in their country and in the rest of the world. They can form their own opinion thanks to it, because even complicated concepts are easier to understand with moving images. Without television, life would be poorer –in information, but, yes, even in entertainment.”
[„Fernsehen ist in einer demokratischen Gesellschaft ein wertvolles Gut, weit über den unterhaltenden Charakter hinaus. Mit seiner Vielfalt sorgt es dafür, dass Menschen jeden Alters, jeglicher Herkunft und mit jeglichem Bildungsgrad über die Entwicklungen in ihrem Land und im Rest der Welt auf dem Laufenden bleiben. Sie können sich eine Meinung bilden, weil auch schwierige Zusammenhänge in bewegten Bildern leichter zu verstehen sind. Ohne Fernsehen wäre das Leben ärmer – an Information und, ja, auch an Unterhaltung.” ]

— Dr. Marc Jan Eumann is the German State Secretary for Federal Affairs and the European Affairs and Media for the State of North Rhine-Westphalia(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Vyacheslav Fetisov, Russian athlete and politician

“My entire life as a professional athlete and public figure is closely connected to television. I remember how the power of TV drove the evolution of the Olympic Games from a relatively large-scale event into the biggest spectacle for billions of viewers all over the planet, into a huge business and into big-time politics. As a player in the NHL, I felt the influence of television, its amazing power to create stars and destroy them just the same. Working as a minister in Russia on a sports development program, I was the first to call for the creation of a public sports television channel. I am sure that the future of our children depends to a great extent on realising the educational potential of television.”

“Television is the most powerful medium reaching millions of people around the world on a multitude of different screens. It is a wonderful educational tool, a source of information, inspiration and communication between cultures. Because of its growing international scope it is increasingly giving voice to creative talent from around the world which is bringing it to new heights.”

— Laurine Garaude is the Director of the TV Division at Reed MIDEM (MIPTV, MIPCOM and MIPDoc, MIPFormats, MIPCube, MIPJunior)(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Iliana Ivanova, former Member of the European Parliament

“Europe is at a crossroads and we must decide now in which direction we want to take it: towards more or less integration. In my view, there is only one direction: a strong, united Europe. This means we must all respect the core European values, i.e. the free movement of persons and workers, and the free flow and exchange of information. Television in particular has a responsibility to bring forth solidarity across Europe, and it is my belief that it can, will and does so on all accounts.”

— Iliana Ivanova is an economist and was a Bulgarian Member of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2014(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

— Petra Kammerevert, German MEP for S&D, member of the Committee on Culture and Education since 2009(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Eva Paunova, Bulgarian MEP

“European integration removes barriers between countries, societies and individuals – barriers that are physical, as well as virtual. Technological development in the field of television and radio plays a major role in maintaining the pursuit of freedom and justice and fosters the formation of a strong civil society. Television retains its prominent role in an increasingly digitised world.”

— Eva Paunova is a Bulgarian Member of the European Parliament since 2014 and is active on the Digital Agenda(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2014 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, former Member of the European Parliament

“Television, as one of today’s most powerful communications media, has a key role to play in raising citizens’ awareness about significant national and international concerns and challenges. TV is a real window on the changing world, on other civilisations. Television needs to take advantage of its strength in a fair, pluralistic way, while respecting human rights and universal values. In modern times, given the consequences of the serious economic crisis as well as the need for stability and peace in many regions of the world, its role becomes even more crucial”

— Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou was a Member of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2014 and Vice-President of the European Parliament from 2007 to 2012
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations

“Television helps bring the world to people’s lives and living rooms. Through quality programming, television sheds light on global issues and opens windows of understanding on the struggles and hopes of communities and families everywhere. The United Nations looks forward to continuing our work with broadcasters to help inform, educate and build a better world.”

— Ban Ki-moon is the Secretary-General of the United Nations(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT /EBU)

Neelie Kroes, former Vice-President of the European Commission

“We now live in an amazing digital world, and television is firmly part of that brave new world. Television is still the way to reach the most citizens and talk to them – and with them – about how the EU affects their lives. It’s still the way to bring people together – to laugh, to debate, to learn. In a world that takes a faster and faster pace, it is nice to know you can slow down once in a while with a good TV programme.”

— Neelie Kroes was the Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda for Europe from 2010 until 2014
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, United Nations

“Television is a tremendously powerful communications tool for building common understanding, dispelling myths and shedding light on global issues. The United Nations itself produces features, packages for broadcasters and live coverage of events to get its message out to the world. The UN Department of Public Information applauds the global celebration of World Television Day, and welcomes the chance to work with broadcasters to ensure that this great communications tool can benefit all of humanity.”

— Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal is the Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information at the United Nations(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT – Photo: Credit 516484 – UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe)

Robert Madelin, Director General, European Commission, Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology

“The audiovisual sector has always been in constant change. Recently we are going through an even more exciting revolution. TV sets with added Internet connectivity, tablets and smartphones are now part of our “TV lives”. TV is no longer about sending information in one direction. The Internet links the audience and the content providers. This development opens the door to new converged modes of cultural expression, new services, new players and new audiences. The European Commission wants to make sure that the technological potential becomes a reality for the benefit of audiences and creators. Many of us have witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall through the eyes of cameramen. This was 25 years ago. We want to see remaining borders falling, also in the audiovisual world.”

— Robert Madelin is the Director General of the DG for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (known as DG connect) since July 2012(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2014 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Dunja Mijatović, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media

“Access to information is one of the pillars of any democratic society. Television has played – and will always play – an immensely important role in safeguarding the right for anyone to access and obtain information, to share thoughts and ideas, to communicate and to do so freely and unrestricted. And with the ongoing switchover to digital broadcasting, with a spectrum capacity that far exceeds that of analogue, television will be key to expanding and fostering media pluralism and diversity.”

— Dunja Mijatović, is the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Viviane Reding, Luxembourg MEP

“At the end of the day, all politics, whether at EU or national level, exist for the people: for our 500 million citizens living in the European Union. We need strong and independent media to raise awareness and report about successes and challenges facing the European Union. Television in particular, with its emotional power that allows viewers to explore, to empathise, to engage, is one of the cornerstones that make our democracies work. Images speak louder than words. I will continue counting on television to inform our citizens and unite them across borders. This is what Europe is about.”

— Viviane Reding has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2014. She was the Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship from 2010 to 2014(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Martin Schulz, German MEP, President of the European Parliament

“Freedom of expression and information is one of the most basic rights of the EU, as enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights. It is a prerequisite to preserving our political liberties. That is why media freedom is taken consistently on board in our bilateral relations and agreements, particularly with developing countries. As it happens, the EU is paying close attention to the consolidation of media freedom in the post-Arab Spring countries, where we are intransigent in upholding and advocating the highest standards of television service. Evidently, if we have managed to safeguard this freedom, it is because journalists have risked their lives in providing us with uncensored facts and images. For the sake of European integration, we must embrace television, and other forms of media, in order to build our shared future where press freedom can continue to flourish.”

— Martin Schulz has been President of the European Parliament since 2012(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT – Photo: Credit European Parliament)

Alf Svensson, former Member of the European Parliament

“Without TV – politics would stop. New fresh impulses, ideas and political parties would not have a chance without TV. Before, crowds would gather in big parks to listen: today these are replaced by TVs. TV has finally made the world round for real!”

— Alf Svensson was a Member of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2014 and the leader of the Christian Democrats in Sweden from 1973 to 2004
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Helga Trüpel, Member of the European Parliament

“Television is still a medium that brings a lot of information, education and entertainment to people. TV plays an important role for the functioning of democracy because it gives people a variety of news, documentaries and opinions. Especially in the digital environment TV with its adaptation to digital distribution of content remains a crucial player of content offerer.”

— Helga Trüpel is a German Member of the European Parliament for the group of the greens/european free alliance, she is also the Vice-chair of the committee on culture and education
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2014 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Androulla Vassiliou, former Member of the European Commission

“While the digital revolution has empowered individuals with an unprecedented diversity of communication tools, television remains the most powerful medium of all. It allows people – of all ages and backgrounds – to easily share information, views and emotions. Television has a key role to play in education, and it enables viewers to enjoy the richness of our cultural diversity, contributing to a more creative Europe.”

— Androulla Vassiliou was the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth from 2010 to 2014(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Alejo Vidal-Quadras, former Member of the European Parliament

“As a frequent participant in Spanish politics TV shows, I believe that television offers a unique forum for the communication of new ideas, discussion of current events and the fostering of healthy debate. Many a politician embarked upon his or her career due in part to what they had seen on television. TV prevents us from living in isolation with only our own opinions and, used wisely, can provide a window onto the world in which we live. In particular, news programmes enable us to reach an unprecedented level of awareness about the lives of those in other parts of the world.”

— Alejo Vidal-Quadras was a Spanish MEP and the Vice-President of the European Parliament between 2004 and 2014(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, Former president of Latvia

“Democracy requires a well-informed, inclusive and pluralistic public sphere; the media are, to a large extent, the creators as well as the “editors” of this public sphere. In this they become the holders of considerable power and may come to assume the status of a “fourth estate” within society. At the same time, the public service aspect and democratic function of media can come under threat either through political interference, undue commercial influence, or increasing social disinterest and indifference on the part of the general public.”

— Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, former president of Latvia, the sixth President of Latvia and the first female President (1999-2007)(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2013 – for egta / ACT / EBU)

Lech Wałęsa, President of Poland (1990 – 1995)

“One of the cornerstones of democracy is unrestricted access to information. The pluralism of TV channels is one of its indispensible and essential elements.”
[„Jednym z najważniejszych elementów demokracji jest swobodny dostęp do informacji. Pluralizm kanałów telewizyjnych jest jego niezbędnym i podstawowym elementem.”]
“It all came from there,” Lech Wałęsa, said, pointing to a TV when a reporter asked him why communism fell.

— Lech Wałęsa was President of Poland between 1990 and 1995, a Noble Peace Prize winner and co-founder of Solidarity, the Soviet bloc’s first independent trade union
(Source: World Television Day – 21 November 2012 – for egta / ACT)

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